Pinnacles

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California

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Profiles of the Pinnacles Condors

Instead of names, every California condor is identified by a “studbook” number, assigned on their hatch date. A studbook is essentially a breeding registry that helps managers document and keep track of pedigree and individual birds. The lower the studbook number, the older the bird. Each bird is visually identified by a vinyl ID tag on one or both wings. For information on interpreting each tag visit condorspotter.org.

NPS

310

Condor 310 hatched on 5/11/03 at the LA Zoo. In the flight pen, 310 perched away from all the other birds and usually fed once the others had finished. However, upon release in 2004, she quickly came into her own and rapidly ascended the dominance hierarchy. Now, 310 is arguably the most dominant condor at Pinnacles. She is the oldest Pinnacles condor and first successfully nested in the wild in 2010 with her mate 219, who is managed by Ventana Wildlife Society along with 574, their chick. 219 and 310 are still a pair and continue contributing to the California condor population with another chick, 745, born in the spring of 2014.

Hatched on 5/26/03 at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, condor 317 is the older sibling of 330. In 2009, she paired with a Ventana Wildlife Socieety released male, 318 and in February, 2010 laid the first condor egg seen inside Pinnacles National Park since 1898. Unfortunately, the nest failed. She and her mate had unsuccessful nesting attempts in 2011 and 2012 as well. Sadly, she lost her mate, condor 318 due to lead poisoning at the end of 2012. Hopefully she will find a new mate in the future and continue to be a dominant, breeding member of the Pinnacles flock.

NPS

330

A younger sibling of 317, condor 330 hatched on 4/19/04 at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Of the 2005 cohort, condor 330 is one of the most dominant. 330 is one of the largest birds in the flock and is known to fight back when confronted. 330 has taken to being a difficult bird to trap, he is elusive and enjoys spending time outside of the park.

Condor 340 with egg laid by his mate 444

NPS/Gavin Emmons

340

Upon arrival at the Pinnacles flight pen, 340 was by far the most active and aggressive juvenile. Perhaps he was aware of his distinction in being the first chick produced by the Oregon Zoo, where he hatched on 5/9/04. After a brief lull in activity immediately following his release, 340 started to expand his range and quickly ascended the dominance hierarchy.

He is outfitted with a GPS tag and has taken flight within 50 miles of the Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge condor release site. His continued exploratory flights make him valued within the flock for his ability to lead others to new areas. During the winter of 2013, he began courting Big Sur condor 444. Unfortunately, 444 died due to lead poisoning in the summer of 2014. There is little doubt that 340 will find a new mate and continue his efforts to contribute to the wild population. He has already been seen displaying to a new female.

NPS

351

Condor 351 hatched on 5/28/04 at the LA Zoo. Along with 345, he was one of the last to be released in 2005, and spends much of his time on the Big Sur coast with his mate, 418. Although their nesting attempt in 2014 failed, they have opportunity to succeed in the upcoming years.

Much of 405's story remains a mystery. He hatched on 4/18/06 in Boise, Idaho, and was released in late 2007. He has been exploring the local landscape ever since. 405 has become another very dominate bird in our flock, often flushing younger condors from carcasses or roost sites. Along with 330, he has become an elusive bird, spending much of his time outside of the park. After evading recapture since 2011, 405 was finally trapped in the spring of 2014 and fitted with a GPS transmitter so that his exploratory movement can be documented.

NPS

418

Condor 418 hatched at the LA Zoo on 5/10/06. 418 acclimated quickly to the Pinnacles flight pen and bulked up from only 14 pounds when she arrived to a healthier weight of 20 pounds. She was released on 12/6/06. 418 enjoys spending time along the Big Sur coast and had her first attempt at nesting with 351 in 2014.

NPS

431

Condor 431 had an interesting history, even before he was released from Pinnacles in the winter of 2008. 431 is one of eight condors rescued from the Big Sur fire that eventually burned the Ventana Wildlife Society's flight pen where the condors were being held. During the fire, in late June of 2008, a Coast Guard helicopter and Ventana Wildlife Society staff shuttled the condors (including 431, 438, 448, and 451) out of the Los Padres National Forest to waiting Pinnacles staff.

Although hatched (4/12/07) at the LA Zoo, 431 originated as a wild laid egg in Big Sur. As part of an eggshell thinning study, biologists swapped out 431's egg with a dummy egg and later replaced it with a separate zoo-laid egg. 431's biological parents, 168 and 208, raised their foster chick, while 431 was raised at LAZ.

NPS

438

Condor 438 was released on 12/6/08 along with 418. 438 hatched on 4/21/07 at the World Center for Birds of Prey. While in the flight pen, she stayed very close to Hoi, an older mentor bird who was kept in the pen to help instill appropriate behaviors in the young birds. Once released she stayed close to Pinnacles for only a short time and then made her way to the Big Sur coast where she has enjoyed feeding regularly on sea lions and other marine life that washes up along the coast. 438 has also found a mate in condor 199, who is managed by Ventana Wildlife Society.

NPS

448

Another condor reared at The Peregrine Fund's facilities in Boise, Idaho, 448 hatched on 5/8/07. One of the more curious birds from the 2008 cohort, 448 was the first to investigate the isolation pens (used to capture condors for health checks) while he was in the facility.448 spends most of his time exploring the coast in Big Sur.

NPS

460

Released on 11/29/09, 460 is one of two females in the 2009 cohort. 460 was hatched on 3/24/09 and reared by foster parents at the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, ID. She was the lightest weighing bird of the 2009 cohort, but still weighs in at a healthy 17 lbs. 460 and 463 can be seen regularly feeding alongside one another.

NPS/Gavin Emmons

463

Hatched at the World Center for Birds of Prey on 4/2/08 and reared by foster parents, 463 was released into Pinnacles on 11/24/09. 463 continues to be the most dominant bird of the 2009 cohort. He sometimes crowded and pushed the other juveniles from the "best" perches while in the flight pen. 463 also began feeding before the other birds, with the exception of the adult mentor. Within his first year in the wild he explored most of the territory regularly visited by the Pinnacles flock and still continues to be one of the more adventurous condors by exploring the far reaches of the Central California range.

NPS

481

Hatched on 4/27/08 and reared by foster parents, 481 is only the second Pinnacles bird to be raised at the Oregon Zoo (340 was the first in 2005). 481 started out as a bit of a loner, perching off by herself, but became more social as her time in the flight pen continued. She is a larger female weighing in at 19 lbs. She was released during a public release event on 9/26/09. She regularly flies between Pinnacles and the Big Sur and is still expanding her range.

NPS

514

He is the first fledgling from a nest in San Benito County in over 70 years and was raised by Ventana Wildlife Society female 303 and Pinnacles' male 313. Over the winter of 2009-2010, he slowly expanded his range from the nest, taking short flights with 313. In March, 2010 he left his natal canyon and flew further afield in San Benito County, making it to the park before April. 514 has established himself as a full member of the central California subpopulation, and frequently makes trips across the landscapes of San Benito and Monterey Counties to the Big Sur coast. He is known for having a bit of wanderlust and frequently explores new areas.

NPS/Gavin Emmons

525

Hatched at the Oregon Zoo on 5/4/09, 525 seems to have an independent streak and likes to perch further away from the others in this cohort. She was released into the wild on 11/22/10 and can often be seen cruising near the coast.

534 hatched on 5/18/09 at the Oregon Zoo in Portland. She brings the total number of Oregon hatched birds in the Pinnacles flock to four. (joining 340, 481, and 525), but does not have any genetic siblings in the Pinnacles' flock. She is a rather curious bird;she was the first juvenile in this group to explore several of the traps and other areas of the flight pen. She was released along with 543 on 10/12/10. She now enjoys spending her time along the beautiful Big Sur Coast with two males, 204 and 470. As she approaches breeding age, we suspect she will attempt nesting with one or both of these males.

NPS/Gavin Emmons

543

543 hatched from the Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey. She broke out of her shell on 5/29/09. She enjoys spending her time close to her fellow Boise hatchling 547. 543 was the first of the 2010 cohort to stretch her wings in the wide open spaces of Pinnacles on 10/12/10. 543 also enjoys spending most of her time along the Big Sur Coast.

NPS

547

547 is the youngest of the 2010 cohort, having hatched on 6/5/09 at the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, ID. She was the lowest ranking of the juveniles in her cohort and spent most of her days perched near the adult mentor. 547 is the younger sibling of a couple of our older males, 313 and 332. She was released on 11/16/10 and now, like the rest of her cohort, enjoys spending most of her days along the Big Sur Coast.

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550

550 was the nestling from the 2010 condor nest inside the park. Unfortunately, she had to be evacuated due to high levels of lead in her blood. Her lead levels were returned to normal while at the L.A. Zoo and she was finally able to take her first flight in the wild in autumn 2011. Since her release she has become one of the regular condors soaring over the skies of Pinnacles National Park and Big Sur.

564

564 hatched at the World Center for Birds of Prey on April 17, 2010. He is the younger genetic sibling of 438. 564 enjoys splitting his time between Pinnacles, San Benito and Monterey Counties, and the Big Sur Coast.

589

589 hatched on June 13, 2010 at the World Center for Birds of Prey. After being released in October 2011, he had a rough few days of being blown by the winds. With the guidance of slightly older juvenile birds, 589 was able to make flights out of the park. He is constantly exploring more of San Benito and Monterey Counties.

NPS

602

602 is a male that hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo on 4/10/11. He is the younger sibling of female condor 481 who briefly assisted the 2013 cohort as a mentor. 602 seems to be the most dominant of his cohort and quickly integrated into the flock. Soon after being released on 1/30/13, he took a short trip out of the park and was able to make it back safely. 602 is frequently in Pinnacles National Park and is a bird who is not afraid to exert himself.

NPS

606

A male with a past link to the central coast, 606 was laid by Big Sur condors 168 and 208. Due to research being conducted at the time, his egg was swapped with a zoo-laid egg and 602 was hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo on 4/22/11. After being released on 1/29/13, he made the condor biologists' job stress-free by safely perching in a tree and finding food on his first day. He has easily integrated into the flock since then, making regular flights to and from Pinnacles and Big Sur.

Another condor hatched at the Portland Zoo, 626 joins the Pinnacles' flock. She hatched on 5/30/11 at the captive facility in Oregon. 626 is the most submissive bird of the 2013 cohort, she spent a lot of her time away from the other juveniles in the pen. Shortly after her release on 2/27/13, 626 made a flight to the High Peaks and did not feed for 3 weeks! She then returned to the bait site and quickly integrated into the flock.

NPS/Alacia Welch

684

She hatched at the Oregon Zoo on 4/11/13, and was transported to the Pinnacles flight pen on 10/22/14. Along with the other six juveniles in the 2015 cohort (687, 688, 692, 700, 704, and 713), 684’s release is planned for early 2015. She is one of the more dominant birds in the group, frequently pushing the other juveniles around. She also takes more practice flights in the pen than the other condors, which is great preparation for her release into the wild. 684 was the first bird released from her cohort, joining the free flying flock on 1/29/15.

NPS/Alacia Welch

692

This young male was hatched at the Oregon Zoo on 4/26/13, and was transported to the Pinnacles flight pen on 10/22/14 with the rest of the 2015 juvenile cohort and their adult mentor bird. He has become known as the ‘lover bird’ of the cohort, and has been seen cuddling and allopreening with 700, 688, and 684. He will join the rest of the wild Pinnacles flock in early 2015. 692 joined the wild on 2/11/15.

Rookies

Seven juvenile birds, or “rookies” are scheduled for release at
Pinnacles early in 2015. Get to know the newest members of our flock. Images
coming soon.

687

687 is also from the Oregon Zoo, and was hatched on 4/19/13. She is a part of the 2015 cohort, and is currently in the Pinnacles flight pen with a release date set for early 2015. She is one of the more laid-back juveniles, rarely taking flights or asserting dominance over the others.

688

Another Oregon Zoo bird, 688 hatched on 4/22/13. He arrived at Pinnacles on 10/22/14 along with the other six juveniles in the 2015 cohort and one adult mentor bird (condor 20) to help teach them proper condor behavior. We look forward to his release and integration into the Pinnacles flock in early 2015!

700

700 hatched at the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho on 5/3/13. This bird seems to be a quieter and less dominant member of the 2015 cohort, and is set for release from Pinnacles in early 2015.

704

704 also hatched at the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho and arrived at Pinnacles on 10/22/14. 704 has been one of the more active birds, taking flights in the pen before many of the other juveniles.

713

Hatched at the LA Zoo on 5/23/13, 713 is one of the biggest juveniles of the 2015 cohort. He tends to spend more time on his own, and was also one of the first birds to start taking flights and exploring new parts of the flight pen. He will be released from Pinnacles in early 2015 along with the other six juveniles in the cohort.

745

This chick was the only wild condor raised by a Pinnacles managed bird (#310) this year. 745 hatched in a nest in Los Padres National Forest on 3/25/14, and was successfully raised by his mother and his father (Ventana Wildlife Society condor 219). We’ve enjoyed watching him take his first successful flights throughout the fall, and look forward to seeing him take longer journeys from the nest and integrating with the rest of the flock soon!